Let us all us join hands to alleviate the sufferings of the people who need our help

Situation Background

North West Frontier of Pakistan faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as more than 1,200,000 displaced people flee the mountain districts of Swat, Buner, Shangla and Lower Dir as the war between insurgents and the government of Pakistan intensifies. As the army has moved into these to initiate military action to evict the area from the insurgents, the people of these areas are leaving their homes behind in hundreds to safer sanctuaries in other parts of the province. The displaced people are leaving in a hurry carrying barely anything from their homes to help them through this tribulation. About 10% of these are being accommodated in camps established by the government at fourteen locations. Another 90% are finding refuge with social networks of families, tribes, clans, schools etc in districts far removed from their homes. The main districts where the pressure is falling are those of Mardan, Swabi, Malakand, Nowshera, Upper and Lower Dir, Peshawar, Charsadda.
In the last few months Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) has partnered with UNHCR to provide support to 25,915 families comprising of 156,490 internally displaced persons (IDP) with Non Food Items in the districts of Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Peshawar and Kohat. Other UN agencies like World Food Programme are providing food etc at the same extended distribution points in a joint operation.

Transit Facilitation Centers

Internally Displaced People of NWFP. As the current wave hits us SRSP with the support of UNHCR and in coordination with the Government of NWFP has established established Transit Facilitation Centers TFCs (reception points) to facilitate the transition of the IDPs from conflict zones into Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Peshawar and Nowshera districts. These Five points, in coordination with the government of NWFP, have been established at:

* Free transport facility for IDPs to their destinations in host communities, Camps or 13 schools designated by commissioner Mardan for IDPs
* Information Provision to the IDPs regarding;
1. Registration points established in each district for them,
2. Extended distribution points established by UN
3. Addresses of available (functional) Government BHUs to their relevant destination areas for free health access
4. Information about camps location and contact persons
5. Information regarding the designated 13 Schools used for IDPs shelter
* Basic waiting Sheds with Electricity, Fans, Energy drinks, energy biscuits, drinking water and latrines etc to facilitate their stopover.
* We are also collecting information from the IDPs at these TFCs who are availing services for future programmes to support them after transition.

Camps for IDP

There are four large camps with capacity to accommodate influx from Buner, Dir & Swat are as following:

* Jalala Camp is now full
* Sheikh Shehzad Camp Mardan is now full
* Yarhussein Camp in Swabi with a current capacity for 1000 families
* Jalozai Camp in Peshawar with almost 8,000 existing families and its capacity is being enhanced for accommodation of 1500 additional families

SRSP has now been asked as of today by UNHCR to start NFIs distribution in the Yarhussain Camp in Swabi. Teams have been sent in to the camp and NFI distribution would be immediately started from a Rub-hall already installed by UNHCR inside the camp.

The commissioner Mardan has ordered all government school to be used as sub camps for IDPs due to heavy influx and insufficient capacity of the camps. These Schools are on Mardan-Swabi Road, Mardan-Malakand Road and Mardan Katlang road. Most of the organization are working either in Camps or very few at reception points leaving behind these schools.

Currently the needs in the Government designated schools for IDPs in Mardan are as followed:

* Food Ration (at the moment the community is providing meals for the IDPs so far but it would be available for few more days as the community could not feed the huge number of IDPs for too long)
* Bedding (schools doesnâ€™t provide proper beddings for the IDPs and the IDPs are demanding mattresses, blankets and Chitais especially for children, women and sick)
* Cleanings (to avoid epidemics and stay clean the communities need a pair of Buckets, mug, soap and towels)
* Laundry (females are facing hardships in laundry a pair of washing powders or soaps would fix the problem)
* Health & Medicines (no doctor or medicines are available with the schools so far and the sickness rate is alarmingly growing fast especially in children)
* Crockery (small kitchen kit when the meals coming from the community stops which is expected in few days)
* Doctor (no male or lady doctor is visiting the schools so far and the sickness rate among the IDPs vary from 10 to 20 %)
* Ambulance (standby ambulances for emergencies one ambulance per school)
* Water purification points (most of the water available with the school tanks are contaminated and contributing in spread of epidemics)
* Communication (IDPs have no communication systems so far to communicate among themselves or back at home, temporary telephone booths to be established in the schools to avoid panic)

Humanitarian Response Center

Apart from these Reception points SRSP and UNHCR has immediately established one Humanitarian Response Centre in Mardan to facilitate all the donors, philanthropists, charities etc. This Humanitarian Response center would be based at the Extended Distribution Point (EDP) Senge Marmar Kali on Swabi-Mardan Road and would be supported with a backup warehouse on Nowshera-Mardan Road opposite Khishko Chungi. To ensure Transparency, efficiency and effectiveness; adequate staff, labor and transport has been made available at the center. This center would be in the capacity to support the efforts of all the individuals, fund raisers and philanthropists, external organizations by providing them outreach and provide them with adequate information regarding the emerging needs to be addressed.
The Extent of the Calamity

There are many aspects to the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Those noted by us show that on Sunday 10th May 2009: According official sources present at Shugo Naka check point on the Mardan border, it was observed that more than 25,000 vehicles (trucks & Busses) crossed into Mardan loaded with Families & luggage. The situation got worst after 2 pm when the entire road was declared one way and three lanes of vehicles were pounded into Mardan district till 1am in the morning making it impossible to count them. People travelled for hours on their foot to reach a point to get access to transportation. Prople have manage with carts, Rikshaws, motorbikes, wgons, cars, buses, trucks, containers or anything they can get hold of. The transport Mafia got active and started exploiting the situation. The camps have reached to their maximum capacity, new camps are being planned but in meanwhile, commissioner Mardan has announced all the Schools officially closed and buildings to be used for IDPs as Sub-camps. THE SCHOOLS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE as currently only the local people are providing food etc from their charity sources, which would not last for long. Majority of IDPs are moving into host communities in Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar and Malakand.

This just one indicator of the kind of crisis which we face in this province. It will have many other humanitarian aspects emerging in the days ahead. In case you are interested in helping please contact SRSP to reach the suffering people.

14 thoughts on “Humanitarian Crisis of NWFP – Urgent Appeal”

I appreciate ur efforts, but some more steps needs to be taken yet, i.e. some IDPs still not get theirselves registered like me because of different reasons. Their casese needs due consideration. They are awating good response from your side. I also not been regisered till date becuase my NIC was issued from Islamabnad a decade earlier. I am permanent resident of Buner by birth. Permanent address endorsed on the NIC, but I am still deprived of financail aids alongwith my family of 12 members. This is unjust and illogical. Kindly advise look into it and resolve the issue. I will be grateful for this entitled right if accorded to me.
Thanks alot.

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